The invention relates to crop harvesters, and more particularly to harvesters having separators which employ shaking action.
Examples of the type of harvester for which this invention is especially useful are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,203,430 and 3,252,464. In such a harvester, particularly effective with tomatoes, the tomato plants are first severed from their roots, then are lifted to a separating device where they are shaken to separate tomatoes from the plants. U.S. Pat. No. 3,252,464, shows a shaking device of the type to which this invention relates, where the shaking device comprises a number of longitudinally extending bars, alternate bars being mounted in different sets that move 180.degree. apart in both up-and-down and fore-and-aft movement, preferably so that any one point on the bar moves in a circular path. Other shaking devices include, for example, longitudinally extending chains having projecting members which engage the tomato plants, the chains being shaken by forward-and-stopping or forward-and-aft movement, with no substantially up-and-down movement. In all such types of apparatus, the tomatoes are intended to be shaken from the vines or stems to fall down through the longitudinal gaps between the shaking members. The separated tomatoes are then collected on some type of conveyor below, which conveys them to sorting conveyors where the tomatoes are sorted to remove the culls. U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,430 shows a harvester wherein the stream of separated tomatoes is divided centrally and distributed to sorting areas on opposite sides of the machine. This is the type of harvester with which the present invention is most effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,453 disclosed an improved separator of the type employing up-and-down and fore-and-aft moving longitudinal members. Series of spaced resilient fingers extended from the longitudinal members substantially across the longitudinal gaps, so that materials such as stems, plants, and weeds were caught thereon and were carried to the rear of the separator and dumped to the ground instead of falling through with the tomatoes onto the separating conveyor. The fingers extended from only one side of each longitudinal member into the adjacent gap, and the fingers of all members extended in the same direction. While being effective to solve the problem to which that patent was directed, the finger placement tended to cause the tomato plants and their tomatoes to drift toward one side of the separator during shaking. An uneven distribution of tomatoes on the conveyor below resulted, and this has been undesirable in some circumstances, particularly in harvesters wherein the tomatoes on the conveyor are divided centrally and conveyed to two separate sorting areas on opposite sides of the machine. One side of the harvester would receive a surplus of tomatoes, while the other would receive very few.